Fountaindale Public Library

LIFE AFTER POWER, SEVEN PRESIDENTS AND THEIR SEARCH FOR PURPOSE BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE, Jared Cohen

eng

Includes bibliographical references

collective biography

no index present

non fiction

LIFE AFTER POWER

bibliography

Jared Cohen

Thorndike Press Large Print Biography and Memoir

SEVEN PRESIDENTS AND THEIR SEARCH FOR PURPOSE BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE

"Former presidents have an unusual place in American life. King George III believed that George Washington's departure after two terms made him "the greatest character of the age." But Alexander Hamilton worried former presidents might "[wander] among thepeople like ghosts." They were both right. Life After Power tells the stories of seven former presidents, from the Founding to today. Each changed history. Each offered lessons about how to decide what to do in the next chapter of life. Thomas Jeffersonwas the first former president to accomplish great things after the White House, shaping public debates and founding the University of Virginia, an accomplishment he included on his tombstone, unlike his presidency. John Quincy Adams served in Congress and became a leading abolitionist, passing the torch to Abraham Lincoln. Grover Cleveland was the only president in American history to serve a nonconsecutive term. William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Herbert Hoover shaped the modern conservative movement, led relief efforts after World War II, reorganized the executive branch, and reconciled John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency in American history, advancing humanitarian causes, human rights, and peace. George W. Bush made a clean break from politics, bringing back George Washington's precedent, and reminding the public that the institution of the presidency is bigger than any person. Jared Cohen explores the untold stories in the finalchapters of these presidents' lives, offering a gripping and illuminating account of how they went from President of the United States one day, to ordinary citizens the next. He tells how they handled very human problems of ego, finances, and questions about their legacy and mortality. He shows how these men made history after they left the White House"--, Provided by publisher

Introduction -- The Lifelong Founder -- A Second Act -- The Comeback -- A Dream Deferred -- Recovery -- The Former -- Moving On -- Conclusion

7 presidents and their search for purpose beyond the White House